Archive for January, 2010
Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 goes on sale
It’s been a few months since we first saw the Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 at the launch event but after a few delays, and according to GSMArena, the X2 finally goes on sale.
Well we say it has ‘Gone on Sale’ but other than having a listed price of about £445 (490 euros) we cant find anyone actually selling the X2 as yet and enquiries made to our usual sources have drawn a blank. We’ll keep trying and let you know if we do find a stockist.
We unboxed the X2 and posted our X2 review already but it’s not our favourite device, personally I don’t feel that it’s that significantly different to the X1 despite being a year down the line from the X1. However, judging by some of the questions and comments over on the forum it does look like the X2 is going to be fairly popular. So if you are going to splash your cash on the X2 let us know what attracts you to the handset and once you get your hands on it let us know what you think too!
Posted by: Matt
[ Post Tags: Sony Ericsson, Xperia X2, Windows Mobile 6.5, unboxing video, tracyandmatt.co.uk ]
Google Nexus One preview
A short while ago we let you know that the Google Phone, the Nexus One, would be coming in January and it looks like that day will be with us tomorrow. Google have a launch event in the States tomorrow which will be drawing in plenty of attention.
Google Nexus One
The guys over at engadget have managed to get their hands on the Nexus One and and even have a short video showing its UI.
As I understand it the device will be sold directly by Google sim free and in addition I believe T-Mobile USA will also be supplying the device with a contract.
Although the Nexus One is branded a Google phone they have enlisted the help of HTC to actually manufacture the handset so at least we can be assured of a quality bit of kit.
The device runs Android 2.1 and is sporting a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, a 3.7-inch, 480 x 800 display, has 512MB of ROM, 512MB of RAM, and a 4GB microSD card (expandable to 32GB).
Although the Nexus One doesn’t bring anything revolutionary to the table is does look a nice piece if kit and the new “Live Wallpapers” certainly give it a next generation look.
You can check out the engadget video here and we will be sure to bring you more news as we get it.
Don’t forget to check out our Nexus One unboxing video too!
Posted by: James
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Mobile Broadband Signal Poor, get a Saucepan
We all know how frustrating it can be when your out and about and have to get online and the expensive mobile broadband contract you have connects at GPRS speeds and that big attachment you need to get your hands on takes three hours to download.
Well all you need is a big saucepan, thats right, pop your MiFi or Dongle into a saucepan (No need to add water or bring to the boil, that would be just silly) and watch your signal strength increase. Don’t believe us, take a look at the video above.
via ISPreview
Sony Ericsson Naite Review
Sony Ericsson is all set to hop aboard the green bandwagon and the Naite seems to be one of their first steps in that direction. Boasting ‘green credentials’ Sony Ericsson hope the Naite otherwise known as the Naite Green Heart will secure their place in the green good book.
The Ten Second Review:
Device: Sony Ericsson Naite
Summary: A low priced, low spec straight forward phone. Its environmentally friendly though!
Best of: Good battery life, Cheap, Green.
Worst of: Low Spec, No flash.
Buy it now from: Sony Ericsson
Price: TBC
General:
On the surface the Naite looks no different from many of Sony Ericsson’s low priced handsets however it is under the metaphoric bonnet that this phone flexes its green muscles.
The front of the Naite is a very clean and stereotypical Sony Ericsson device. The numeric keys are generously sized and the navigational buttons match this clean finish with their perfect symmetry.
Sony Ericsson Naite
The sides of the Naite house little creativity and excitement with just the single Sony Ericsson style connecter input on the left of the device. The black back cover wraps nicely round the side of the device creating smooth styling throughout the device.
Sony Ericsson Naite Left Side
The right of the device is equally as exciting with just a single volume rocker located to the top of the device.
Sony Ericsson Naite Right Side
The back of the device houses the two-megapixel camera, which unfortunately lacks a flash of any description. The back cover is textured allowing for better grip and underneath this cover lies the microSD slot.
Sony Ericsson Naite Back
Highlights:
-
Great Battery Life
-
Green Packaging
Lowlights:
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MicroSD Slot Hidden
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No Flash
Review:
With very little in the way of improvement in design and styling of their lower priced handsets it seems Sony Ericsson are on a constant search for the latest craze to latch on to in order to ship devices. The Naite is no exception to this rule and from its press release it would appear Sony Ericsson’s latest buzzword is ‘green’.
The Naite is a decent looking phone and although no great improvements have been made regarding the styling over previous Sony Ericsson models I suppose the expression if it aint’ broke don’t fix it comes to mind.
The green credentials of the Naite may be difficult to spot on first inspection however it is clear from the packaging that Sony Ericsson mean business with their Green Heart series. Expertly packed in the a tiny box the Naite along with its energy efficient battery and charge can potentially cut its carbon footprint by up to 15%, not bad for around £100.
Unfortunately the green credentials are all the Naite has to offer in the way of enhancing features. The device operates in the same way as any other Sony Ericsson device on the market; navigation is achieved through the same scrolling menu as with other devices and the 2-megapixel cameras although a nice addition is a bit of a disappointment with image quality being sacrificed by the omission of a flash.
I would love to say the Naite does not suffer at the extent of its green presentation however it does feel like it lacks a certain something there is no defining feature in terms of features that stands out the walkman phones have their music the cybershots have their cameras however the Naite seems to be trapped somewhere in the middle with a lack of identity or character.
That said the Naite is not a complete write off. Its green credentials are certainly going to leave you with a warm feeling when you use it knowing you are saving the planet as well as sending the vital text or making that urgent call. The phone does take elements from both the walk man and the cyber shot devices however although it does not do either of them perfectly it does do a decent enough job for the average user.
Storage is via microSD and with the possibility of expanding the memory up to 8GB there is plenty of opportunity to store all your favourite mp3s and a perfectly adequate number of photos. The memory cars slot is something, which confused me rather. It is not uncommon these days for the card slot to be stashed away underneath the battery however on the Naite the SD card slot is not under the battery but is hidden away under the back cover which to me seems like a pointless move and makes things unessarcerily difficult for the user.
The phone has the usual set of organizer style features, which are easy to navigate using the Naite’s large keypad, which should see even the largest thumbed being managing to use the phone with little trouble. The Naite is a lightweight device at just 84g and this is evident with the device is your hand. The battery life on the Naite is something which Sony Ericsson are extremely proud of and rightly so, with an approximate stand by time of 600 hours and a staggering 13 hours talk time you the Naite is designed to keep you away from the plug saving you money on your energy bills and with this battery life it is sure to achieve just that. Connectivity wise a personal bugbear of mine returns in the form of the Sony Ericsson proprietary connector however that aside the usual suspects are present, Bluetooth, 3G etc.
Conclusion:
The Naite is comes from Sony Ericsson with good intentions. It would however appear that we are not yet at the stage when a mobile can be green in character without having to sacrifice performance or functionality. The Naite offers mediocre features in the form of its camera and music playback capabilities however they just feel lacking when compared to specialist devices. A phone perfect for those carbon conscious phone users who would be happy to take a slight sacrifice in features in order to help save the planet.
Review by: Nick
Post Tags: tracyandmatt.co.uk,Sony Ericsson Naite
TimeTracker for iPhone – review
Say hello to the best time tracking app for iPhone – TimeTracker (without space in-between). Many people think that iPhone is just a toy for games but the reality is that it is a rock-solid tool for professional applications too!
Nokia X6 unboxing video
The Nokia X6 was announced a few months ago and released right at the end of 2009. We managed to get our hands on one for review just a few days ago.
The Nokia X6
To me the Nokia X6 looks kinda similar to the Nokia 5800 and I’m assuming that Nokia are going to pitch the X6 as the higher-end version/replacement for the ageing 5800. It’s good to see that Nokia have decided to go for a capacitive touchscreen, I always felt it strange that the 5800 was capacitive. The X6 does have a nice looking screen though, bright and clear but it is very shiny which leads to a bit of a glare problem in bright light conditions.
We’ll be reviewing the Nokia X6 over the next few weeks and our review will be online soon. For now though, have a look at the unboxing video below where I’ll take you around the hardware and briefly show you the user interface.
Nokia X6 unboxing video
Nokia X6 Specification:
- Symbian OS v9.4, series 60
- Arm 11 434MHz CPU
- 128MB RAM
- 32GB storage
- 3.2″ capacitive touchscreen, 360×640 pixels
- GSM Quad-Band
- 3G/HSDPA Tri-Band
- FM radio with RDS
- Built in A-GPS and Nokia Maps
- WiFi 802.11b/g
- Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP
- 5MP autofocus camera with dual LED flash/video light
- 3.5mm headphone/av connector
- Dimensions: 111 x 51 x 13.8mm
- Weight: 122 grams
- Stand-by: Up to 401 h (2G) / 420 h (3G)
- Talk time: Up to 8 h 30 min (2G) / 6 h (3G)
- Music play: Up to 35 h
A World Of Entertainment
Connect to the future of mobile entertainment and enjoy more of your favourite music, photos, movies, games and add-on applications.
Responsive To Your Touch
Fast and clear browsing of the web and your media with the large, full touch screen.
Connect And Share Instantly
Your social media centre in your pocket for one touch access to your closest friends. Share your media when and where you want to.
Posted by: Matt
Google and HTC Working On a Chrome OS Tablet?
Smarthouse, an Australian publication, reports that HTC and Google have been collaborating "for the past 18 months" and have produced "several working models of a touch tablet," including one outfitted with Google’s Chrome OS.
Having collaborated on the Nexus One, HTC and Google partnering on a tablet seems like a promising prospect. But will it "compete head on" with Apple’s tablet as Smarthouse claims? Probably not.
Apple have been rumoured to be releasing their own tablet and with an event supposedly coming up later this month we should not have to wait too long to find out what it is all about, my money is on a large screen tablet running iPhone OS designed specifically for Ebook reading, but we will see.
via Gizmodo
Just when you thought it was safe to buy an HD2 …
…the Windows Mobile 7 announcement was an error. Bad HTC Russia! I’m sure there are some out there that have gone an bought the device, and if you read it here then I apologise. With any luck there will be an update however it’s such a long way off I don’t reckon HTC will be too interested in the HD2 to care.
[Source HTCpedia]
Hardware-Accelerated DOOM on the Pre
I’m guessing that there is nothing in this world that exists with a screen that does not run Doom. The Palm Pre is no exception, check out this video courtesy of Prethinking showing Doom running on the Pre. Aside from the little keyboard controls I can see no faults with this. Excellent stuff:
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